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My Introduction to French Cinema, A List of Great, Entertaining and Fun French Films

I have been trying to watch TV in French. Unfortunately, there are not many great television series in French. Thankfully, friends have suggested French movies for me to watch (thanks guys).

Thanks to Igor Film and Casbah Film

Volumes have been written on French cinema and there are endless ways of classifying meritorious French films (best, top, famous classic, popular, recent, great, good, and must see). Classics like the 400 Blows, Belle du Jour, Un Chien Andalou, and The Battle of Algiers, do not appear on this list. These films were chosen not for their cinematic adroitness, but for their entertainment value and insight into French culture. They are divided into the following categories: Comedy, Black Comedy, Classics by Jaques Tati, Romantic Comedy, Dramatic Comedy, Dramas, Action, Animated/Cartoon, and TV (which contains a couple of old television series).

Bienvenue Chez Les Ch’tis (Welcome to the Sticks, Welcome to the Land of Shtis) – Released in 2008, directed by Dany Boon, and starring Kad Merad, Dany Boon and Zoé Félix. This is the most successful French film ever. A man born and raised on France’s Southern coast is exiled to the Northern territories as punishment for lying to the government. He is forced to relocate to the north of France, between Belgium and the English Channel where they speak an amalgam of French, Flemish and Latin. He encounters cultural differences and struggles to adapt to his new life.

OSS 117: Le Caire Nid D’Espions (OSS 117: Cairo, Nest Of Spies) – Released in 1996, directed by Michel Hazanavicius, and starring Jean Dujardin (the French George Clooney who has recently achieved recognition for is work in The Artist), Bérénice Bejo, and Aure Atika. This spy comedy parodies Bond films and uses lame sight gags, crass sexual innuendo, juvenile action sequences, and hilarious coded conversations to great effect. He even watched some of it in French with me…without subtitles.

La Traversée De Paris (The Trip Across Paris, Four Bags Full) – released in 1956, directed by Claude Autant-Lara, and starring Jean Gabin, Bourvil and Louis de Funès. In this comedy, two men have to cross nazi-occupied Paris by night during WWII. As they walk along dark Parisian streets they encounter various characters and have adventures until they are arrested by the German police.

La Chèvre (Knock On Wood, literal Translation Is “The Goat”) – released in 1981, directed by Francis Veber, starring Pierre Richard and Gérard Depardieu. In this buddy comedy dedicated private eye searches for a businessman’s daughter in Mexico, but the case is complicated by the amateur sleuthing of the client’s accountant.

Alexandre Le Bienheureux (Blissful Alexander) – released in 1968, directed by Yves Robert, starring Philippe Noiret, Marlène Jobert and Françoise Brion. A henpecked childless farmer is oppressed by his authoritarian wife who does not permit him any rest. When she dies, he decides that the time has come to take it easy and enjoy life a little, sets his livestock free, and takes to his bed, practically disappearing. The only clue that he is still alive is his dog, who periodically goes shopping to the nearby town with a basket in its mouth, sparking town gossip about his fate.

Mon Oncle Benjamin (My Uncle Benjamin) – Released in 1969, directed by Édouard Molinaro, and starring Jacques Brel and Claude Jade. In the 1750’s, a country doctor in love with the beautiful innkeeper’s daughter, but she refuses his advances until he produces a marriage contract. He endures several trials including a humiliating practical joke and condemned to prison.

La Folie Des Grandeurs (Delusions Of Grandeur) – Released in 1971, directed by Gérard Oury, and starring Louis de Funès and Yves Montand. Loosely based on Victor Hugo’s play Ruy Blas, this historical face tells the story of a nobleman who has been exiled from court and sent to collect taxes in the countryside. His assistant manages to help the overtaxed peasants behind his boss’s back. When he decides to resume meddling in the monarch’s affairs using his assistant as his henchman, his schemes backfire badly.

Jeux D’Enfants (Love Me If You Dare, Literal Translation Is “Children’s Games”) – Released in 2003, directed byYann Samuell, and starring Guillaume Canet and Marion Cotillard. Two young friends go from childhood to adulthood in a friendship that revolves around daring each other to pull increasingly audacious practical jokes. They remain seemingly obvious to their emotionally intimate relationship.

L’Auberge Rouge (The Red Inn) – Released in 2007, directed by Gérard Krawczyk, and starring Christian Clavier and Gérard Jugnot. In rustic little inn in a remote rural area of France, the inn’s proprietors support themselves by murdering stagecoach passengers who stop over at the inn, keeping their valuables for themselves. A passenger learns of the innkeeper’s homicidal schemes, but is prevented from revealing them by the rules of the Confessional. He finds a solution.

Classics by Jacques Tati

Les Vacances De M. Hulot (Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday) – Released in 1953, directed by Jacques Tati, and starring Jacques Tati. Monsieur Hulot, a pipe-smoking, well-meaning but clumsy character, comes to a beachside hotel for a vacation, where he accidentally (but good-naturedly) causes havoc.

Courtesy of Gaumont Distribution

Mon Oncle (“My Uncle”) – Released in 1958, directed by Jacques Tati, and starring Jacques Tati. In this follow up to Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Monsieur Hulot visits the technology-driven world of his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew, but can’t quite fit into the surroundings.

Les Convoyeurs Attendent (The Carriers Are Waiting, an expression used when waiting for the repayment of a favor) – Released in 1999, directed by Benoît Marriage starring Benoît Poelvoorde, Morgane Simon and Bouli Lanners. A man who obviously loves his family, but doesn’t always connect with them. One day, he learns an area business association is sponsoring a contest for a family that can break a world record, with the grand prize being a new car and drafts his son into the attempt.

Courtesy of Légende Entreprises, Film 99 Francs and Pathé

99 Francs – Released in 1997, directed by Jan Kounen, and starring Jean Dujardin and Vahina Giocante. A satire on the business of advertising, a commercial ad designer wearies of his active free wheeling lifestyle and organizes a revolt against the business.

Les Valseuses (Going Places) – Released in 1974, directed by Bertrand Blier, and starring Miou-Miou, Gerard Depardieu and Patrick Dewaere. Two whimsical, aimless thugs harass and assault women, steal anything of value, murder, and alternately charm, fight, or sprint their way out of trouble. The story picks up when a jaded, passive hairdresser, joins them as lover, cook, and mother confessor.

Mon Meilleur Ami (My Best Friend) – Released in 2005, directed by Patrice Leconte, and starring Daniel Auteuil and Dany Boon. An art dealer refuses to believe that her unlikable business partner has a best friend, so she challenges him to produce one. He scrambles to find someone willing to pose as his best pal and enlists the services of a charming taxi driver to play the part.

Drama

Courtesy of One World Films, Studio 37 and Universal Pictures International (UPI)

Un Prophéte (The Prophet) – Released in 2009, directed by Jacques Audiard, and starring Tahar Rahim and Niels Arestrup. A nineteen years old, Frenchman of Algerian descent is sentenced to six years in prison for attacking police officers. Upon his arrival, he is alone and illiterate. He falls under the sway of mobsters who enforce a brutal rule and climbs within their ranks.

La Haine (translated literally as Hate) – Released in 1995, directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, and starring Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, and Saïd Taghmaoui. Three teenage friends struggle to survive in Paris’ ghetto suburbs. When one is hospitalized after a riot, where a policeman lost his gun. His friend finds it and claims he will kill a cop if his friend dies.

L’été Meurtrier (One Deadly Summer) – Released in 1984, directed by Jean Becker, and starring Isabelle Adjani. This tragic tale of misunderstanding, obsession, and increasing madness,has a woman trying to avenge the long-ago rape of her mother. In doing so she loses her mind and sets in motion a tragic series of events.

Pierrot Le Fou – released in 1965, directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Anna Karina and Jean-Paul Belmondo. An unhappy, recently fired married man escapes his boring society and travels from Paris to the Mediterranean Sea with a girl chased by hit-men from Algeria. They lead an unorthodox life, always on the run.

À Bout De Souffle (Breathless, Literal Translation Is “At Breath’s End”) – released in 1960, directed by Jean-Luc Godard, and starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg. This film helped launch French New Wave. A young hoodlum steals a car and heads for Paris, shooting a cop on the way. In Paris, he meets an aspiring journalist who agrees to hide him while he tries to trace a former associate who owes him money so that he can evade the police dragnet and make a break for Italy.

Anthony Zimmer – released in 2005, directed by Jérôme Salle and starring Sophie Marceau, Yvan Attal, and Sami Frey. A highly intelligent criminal is pursued by international police and the Russian mafia. He has extensive plastic surgery rendering him unrecognizable, even to his girlfriend, who enlists the help of an unsuspecting stranger on a train to foil those trailing him and embroiling him in the action.

Cartoon/Animated

Les Triplettes De Belleville (The Triplets of Belleville) – Released in 2003 and directed by Sylvain Chomet. We saw and liked this film in the US when it was first released. It tells the story of elderly woman who goes on a quest to rescue her grandson, the Tour de France cycling champion, who was kidnapped by the French mafia for gambling purposes and taken to the city of Belleville. She is joined by the Triplets of Belleville, 1930’s lounge singers.

15 thoughts on “My Introduction to French Cinema, A List of Great, Entertaining and Fun French Films”

Great list, with a lot of movies I have to see (and I’m french!). But I should say that “C’est arrivé près de chez vous” and “Les convoyeurs attendent” are both from Belgium, even if released in french and “Un chien andalou” has very much to do with Spain and with sapnish surrealism, even if it’s a french production. Thanks again for the list, it’s quite complete!

Maybe you would like to see “La cité de la peur” a comedy released in 1994 with the comic trio “les nuls” (who was working a lot on the tV channel “canal plus”). And I am a fan of Marguerite Duras who wrote “L’amant”, adapted in 1992 by Jean-Jacques Annaud, and “Hiroshima mon amour”, a novel-scenario which was released in 1959 by Alain Resnais. Hope it will be useful for you!!

Good list, you should also watch ‘Quand J’Etais Chanteur’ if you haven’t already, a French character piece with a nice nod to the sort of national music French people of all ages will have come across at one stage or another…

An excellent list. Personal favorite here would have to be the hard hitting A Prophet. My personal preferences would all come from Jean Renoir: La Grande Illusion and La Regle du Jeu are untouchable in my eyes.

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